West Sacramento Recreation Center, 2801 Jefferson Blvd. (next to River City High School in Southport; M-F 5:15 am to 10:00 pm and Sat/Sun 8 am to 8 pm).

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‘Tour de West Sac’ citizens poke around some city hot spots on two wheels

CHRIS LEDESMA (towards right, with dark shirt) makes a point about the Michael McGowan Bridge now under construction on South River Road. The bridge will first connect South River Road, and later connect with Village Parkway in Southport. Click to enlarge. (News-Ledger photo)

FROM THE NEWS-LEDGER — JUNE 4, 2014 —

By Steve MarschkeNews-Ledger Editor

Close to 50 people joined West Sacramento city councilman Chris Ledesma on Saturday, May 31, for the “Tour de West Sac,” an informal bike tour of some of the town’s new and soon-to-be-new highlights.

The group departed from Nugget market in Southport. Using the Clarksburg Branch Line Trail and local roads, they visited the bridge now under construction on South River Road, the Bridge District, Broderick restaurant, Sycamore Trail and Bike Dog Brewery.

The News-Ledger met up with the group at the construction site of the Michael McGowan Bridge, a span that will soon cross the barge canal on South River Road.

Ledesma explained to the crowd that the land was formerly owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the $12 million bridge will first connect both halves of South River Road across the waterway, and later will connect with Village Parkway.

“It will be another arterial from north to south,” said Ledesma. “It will have bike lanes on it, and we are doing plumbing and wiring to accommodate a streetcar.”

Ledesma also made reference to a long-awaited new bridge the other direction: one running east to west, connecting West Sacramento to I-5 and Sacramento. He said that such a bridge – long opposed by Sacramento leaders – is now in the works, and this planned “Broadway Bridge” will probably land north of the bridge site, near where a Clark Pacific cement plant tower near stands.

The plant’s site, the acreage near the McGowan Bridge and much of the rest of the city’s industrial riverfront will eventually transition to more urban-style uses, said Ledesma.

And as a note of trivia, Ledesma added that West Sacramento-based Clark Pacific is the same company now fabricating pieces of the striking new “spaceshippy” headquarters for Apple in Cupertino. Clark Pacific also has a plant in Woodland.

After the brief chat at the bridge, Ledesma and his informal tour group – men, women, children and babies in trailers – pedaled north on South River Road, heading under the freeway for the rest of their tour.

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Copyright News-Ledger 2014

West Sac drive-by killer denied parole

FROM THE NEWS-LEDGER – JUNE 4, 2014 —

The Yolo County District Attorney’s office has announced that Daniel Robinson, a 38-year old from West Sacramento, has been denied parole in his first hearing after 18 years in prison.

Robinson was convicted of second-degree murder in 1996 for killing 16-year old Robert Castro in a gang-related drive-by shooting, said the office of D.A. Jeff Reisig. Robinson and his friends, members of the 29th Street Crips gang, shot Castro because they felt disrespected by the Broderick Boys gang. Castro was on bike at the time.

Castro’s parents and other relatives were at the parole hearing in Salinas Valley Prison, as was Chief Deputy D.A. Jonathan Raven and victim services advocate Silvia Aceves.

Commissioner Perry Turner, ruling against parole, said Robinson continued to have problems with alcohol and violence while in prison, said the D.A.’s office.